Laura Davies of England shot a 5-under-par 68 Sunday to win her second Australian Open and 29th Ladies European Tour event by a stroke, benefitting from her closest rival's confusion at who was leading late.
Davies, 45, saved her best golf for the weekend, going 11-under-par over the final two rounds at the Metropolitan Golf Club. She finished with a 7-under total of 285, ahead of Spain's Tania Elosegui (70).
Karrie Webb was tied for sixth after a 74, five strokes back.
Davies, the 2004 winner, bogeyed the 18th hole while Elosegui birdied 17, putting the Spanish player into the lead with one hole to go and Davies in the clubhouse.
"At the time I must admit I thought I'd blown it _ I pretty much knew it was (Tania) who made the putt on 17," Davies said.
But Elosegui (70) mistakenly thought she was trailing, and had a double-bogey six on the 18th to hand Davies the title.
Elosegui said she saw Davies' score at 8-under on the leaderboard _ before Davies' bogey on 18.
"I looked at the leaderboard on the 16th green and I saw that I was seven under, so she (Davies) was tied with me and then I looked again on the 17th hole and she was eight under," Elosegui said.
"I made my putt for birdie (on 17) so at that moment I thought we were tied and on the last I said to myself, just try to make another birdie."
Elosegui hit into a greenside bunker on her approach, and when she stood over her first putt of 20 feet she thought she needed to make it to tie Davies.
"So I really hit it and it went too long," she said.
As the ball sailed past the hole, Elosegui had in her own mind conceded the tournament.
"In the second putt I was not really thinking I have to make this to go to a playoff because I was like, OK, I'm second and that's it. Then my caddie told me Laura finished seven under, she bogeyed the last and I was, no, I can't believe that."
Davies said she usually keeps a close, accurate eye on the leaderboard.
"I never understand the leaderboard thing, not looking," Davies said. "You have to know where you stand. I'm not criticizing her in any way, shape or form. It's just I like to look at leaderboards."
Davies, who picked up three shots in two holes with an eagle at 14 and a birdie at 15, also has 20 victories on the LPGA Tour, including five majors.
"In these conditions, you've just got to take what you can get," Davies said of the swirling winds. "I had a stupid three-putt (for bogey on the par-3 11th), but overall I played well, played solid."
Another English golfer, Melissa Reid, was tied for third after a 69, level with South Koreans Choi He-yong (69) and Lee Chang-hee (73). Lee led after each of the second and third rounds and took a one-stroke lead into Sunday.
Australian Katherine Hull (70), who won last week's Australian Masters, finished tied for sixth with Webb, who was attempting to win her third Australian Open in a row and fifth overall.
Two Americans who trailed Lee by one stroke into the final round faded badly. Former star amateur Alison Walshe was tied for 16th after a 78 and Beth Allen was tied for 26th after an 80.
The top American was Diana D'Alessio, who tied for 13th after a 75, seven strokes behind Davies.
At the trophy presentations, Davies spoke of the wildfires just north of Melbourne last weekend that killed at least 180 people. All gate receipts from Sunday's final round were donated to the Red Cross' Victorian (state) Bushfire Appeal.
"I know it's been a tough week for many people," Davies said. "Thank you all for coming out today and for helping out those who have been affected by this tragedy."
